Gods and Monsters
by Evie614
Summary: Yugi was an ordinary girl who awakened the forces of good and evil the night she solved the Millennium Puzzle. Now, bonded with a physical being named "Yami," who claims to be "her servant and protector" she must work together with him on not only fighting the corruption of the Dark Games but also confronting the forces of her heart and desire. Fem!Yugi Puzzleshipping. A/U
1. Chapter 1

Gods and Monsters

A/N: This is an A/U fem!Yugi story that will somewhat coincide with the manga and anime. I was feeling nostalgic, so I just used dub names. Yeahhhhh. Anyway, the author referenced in the first sentence is Jodi Picoult. She's an awesome author, so you guys should check her out. Also, this title is from the song, "Gods and Monsters," by Lana del Rey. Aaaand, I don't own Yugioh. Boo. Also, we will have sassy! but sweet! Yugi in this story.

Chapter One: The Beginning

A famous American author once said that extraordinary things are always hiding in places people never think to look. That quote would later prove to be true for one girl named Yugi Mutou, who remained seated at her small wooden desk, as her fellow classmates filed out of the classroom one by one to attend recess.

"Hey, Yuug? Why don't'cha come play basketball with the rest of the girls?" asked her classmate and resident bully, Joey Wheeler. There was a slight leer to his face that Yugi knew too well.

"Yeah, Yugi. It will be very _uplifting._ " added Tristan, who like Joey, was trying to hide his shit-eating grin at the thought of seeing up Yugi Mutou's skirt.

Yugi resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Honestly, this was the same shit that she went through every day with these two fucking perverts.

"No thanks, guys," she replied, trying to keep her voice ridiculously polite, as she pulled a heavy gold box with hieroglyphics adorning all four sides out of her school bag. The Eye of Horus served as the box's focal point, and like the artistic magic of the _Mona Lisa_ , the Eye of Horus seemed to follow a person no matter which way it was turned.

An observation that Joey quickly took notice of.

"Hey, Yuug, seriously, though? Why are ya always messin' around wit' that creepy puzzle box, anyway? Why don'cha act like the other girls and mess around wit' makeup or somethin'?" He and Tristan smirked and exchanged knowing looks.

"Unless…" Before Yugi could react, Joey snatched the puzzle box up. "You might end up likin' girls a little too much…" Joey leaned forward, his brown eyes meeting Yuugi's violet eyes. "Ya know what I mean, Yuug?"

Yugi felt her face heat up against her will...she knew all too well what Joey meant, but she wasn't about to let it show on her face.

"Yugi's a lesssssbooooo" sang Joey, as he tossed Yugi's puzzle box to Tristan, who caught it like a basketball.

Yugi stood up. "Give it back, Joey. Now."

The boys continued to toss the puzzle box around as if they had not heard Yugi, which really didn't take her by surprise. Her voice was high and girly. If she was being completely honest with herself, not even _she_ would be able to take her voice as anything serious or worth paying attention to.

She was just cute, docile, and sweet Yugi Mutou to most of the students and staff at Domino High School...

"GIVE IT BACK NOW!" Yugi yelled, the harsh ringing in her ears surprising even herself.

"What in the _hell_ is going on?" a familiar voice rang out, causing Joey and Tristan to stop in their tracks.

Téa Gardner stood in the doorway looking furious as she marched over to Joey and Tristan. "Let's just get a few things straight, Wheeler!" she grabbed the puzzle box from Tristan before he could even blink and sat it back on Yugi's desk. She marched up to Joey, holding herself high enough to where she was nearly nose-to-nose with him. "You _will_ leave Yugi alone from now on, do you understand me?"

Joey scowled. "Fine, we'll leave your girlfriend alone. Jesus, Gard-Oww! You stupid bitch!" he yelled as Téa kicked him sharply in the shin.

"And quit obsessing over her, as well as _my_ sexuality! Just because we don't want you looking up our skirts, doesn't make us lesbians, Joey Wheeler! And even if we _were_ , it wouldn't be any of your goddamn business! God, with that attitude, I wouldn't be surprised if you were still a virgin."

Joey began to sputter and Tristan's face turned red.

"Of course I'm not a virgin!" Tristan boldly proclaimed. "I've been laid by tons of girls! Way hotter than you two!"

Before Yugi could even process what was actually going on, she heard herself saying: "Do you give your hand a different name each night, Tristan?"

At Yugi's bold implication, Tristan's face turned even more red, sweat coming lightly down the sides. "Fuckin' bitches! C'mon Joey, let's go."

Giving both girls mutinous looks, the two stalked out of the classroom, leaving Téa and Yugi to themselves.

Once the girls had convinced themselves that Joey and Tristan had truly left the vicinity, both of them gathered around the golden box.

"So...what does this do?" Téa picked it up, to examine its contents, but quickly placed it back on Yugi's desk.

Looking bewildered, she held both of her palms out to Yugi, who noticed they were bright pink. It almost looked like a sunburn.

"It burned me, Yugi! Doesn't it hurt when you pick it up?"

Yugi shrugged and picked up what looked to be a simple edge piece. "No, it feels...warm, but, like, comforting warmth...you know?

Téa rolled her eyes. Her shorter friend was such a space cadet and whether or not Yugi liked to admit it, she was most definitely a romantic at heart.

Which reminded Téa…

"Hey, Yugi?"

"Hmm?" Yugi was once again fumbling with the various puzzle pieces, turning certain ones in various complicated positions, that made absolutely no sense to Téa.

"C-can I ask you a question?"

Yugi immediately stopped working on the Puzzle at the tone of Téa's voice. "Of course you can. You know that. We've been best friends since Kindergarten."

"Right…" Téa took a deep breath. "When Joey and Tristan were...well, what they were implying-I mean, I guess-"

Yugi held her hand up, trying hard not to laugh at her best friend's flustered appearance. "You mean if I'm a lesbian?"

Téa let out a sigh of relief. "Yes, that. Thank you, Yugi. I couldn't even articulate what I wanted to say. Now I know how Joey and Tristan must feel…"

At those words, Yugi and Téa traded gazes and immediately started laughing.

"But to answer your question," Yugi wiped her eyes. "I'm not a lesbian." She paused, looking at Téa's impassive face. Yugi felt her hands begin to get clammy. "I'm, uhh, bi." She looked down at her puzzle and began messing with the puzzle, refusing to look at Téa, who had yet to say a word.

"I kind of had an idea," Téa said after a few seconds.

Yugi stopped working on the puzzle and looked up at Téa. "You did? What did I do?"

Téa shrugged. "Nothing really. To tell you the truth, Yugi, I'm not entirely straight myself, either."

Yugi looked up, shocked. "You're not?"

Téa smiled. "I came out as bisexual to my parents when I was twelve."

"Oh?" Yugi momentarily looked up from her puzzle, which was now looking like a collapsed pyramid. She wondered why Téa had never mentioned this piece of information to her before, but quickly brushed it off. Regardless of their friendship, it was Téa's own business who she chose to discuss her sexuality with.

"Yepp...they weren't too happy about it at first, but they are slowly becoming more accepting of it. I think it's because they are absolutely terrified of losing 'their darling daughter.' Especially since I'm going to New York in a couple of years, anyway. Then I can kiss all the women I want!"

Yugi beamed. "That's great, Téa!" she closed the puzzle box gently. Suddenly, she was struck with inspiration; she just hoped that Téa would remember…

Yugi slid out of her desk and stood in front of her friend (barely making it to her chin). Téa looked puzzled until Yugi held out her pinky finger. "Vault, Téa?"

Téa positively beamed. "Most definitely Vault, Yugi!" she linked her pinky finger together with Yugi's.

After they let go, Yugi gave Téa a rough hug. "Thank you, Téa, for being so...amazing." Yugi gave her childhood friend one of her famous dazzling yet shy smiles.

"Anytime, GameGirl." she smiled, as she watched her Yugi skip down the hallway. _Her Yugi._

* * *

"Those fucking bitches!" Joey fumed as he and Tristan ran down the nearly empty high school. A great deal of the students had left early, as it was Friday.

"Well, what are you gonna do about it, man?" Despite his loyalty to Joey, Tristan just really wanted Joey to see reason. Right now the boy was close to spitting fire. With his wild blonde hair, tall stature, and angry words coming out of his mouth (each swear word stronger than the next) Joey was quickly resembling a very pissed off Fabio-Dragon.

"Who do Mutou and jumped-up Gardner think they are?" Joey stood by the bay window, overlooking the school's moat, which was still looking pristine clear.

"Well…" Tristan started to say, but it was as if Joey did not even hear him.

"I mean...Yugi seemed pretty upset over that puzzle…" Opening his slightly dirty hand, he showed Tristan the glittering Eye of Horus.

Yugi's puzzle piece.

Tristan glared at his friend. "Listen, dude. We have a code. We don't mess with girls."

Joey shrugged in a 'Devil May Care Way,' and open the bay window, the lazy May air flowing through the empty hallway.

"Ahhh, the fresh smell of victory!" Joey grinned.

Tristan shook his head. "You're an asshole, man. Picking on girls. Girls like Mutou, no less. I can see your dislike for Gardner, but Mutou?"

Joey shook his head. "It's not dislike, Tris.' I'm tryin' to teach her a lesson. If she can't stand up to guys like us, then how is she gonna be able to stand up to the really nasty guys? Guys like-"

"Well, well, well." A familiar voice came around the corner. "Sounds like Wheeler and Taylor like to mess around and bully girls."

Joey swore. "Stay out of it, Ushio."

The brute of a bully leaned against the cold, freshly painted concrete walls. "Why should I, Wheeler? As protector of this school, I have a duty bound service to protect girls like Yugi Mutou and Téa Gardner."

"Téa can take care of herself…" mumbled Joey, as he felt the pain in his bruised shin.

Ushio leered, contracting his large eyebrows together. "Maybe...but Mutou sure can't. I'm sure that she would love to use my services against you two."

Joey scowled. "Go ahead and try it, man. Yugi's a cool girl. She's not gonna side wit' you over us."

"Dude, you just stole a piece of her puzzle." Tristan muttered to him.

Ushio smirked. Even though he didn't hear what Tristan had said to Wheeler, he had a vague idea. "You know, boys, I may just go and see the lovely Miss Mutou myself. Talk to you later."

As the oversized high school student headed down the empty hall, whistling to himself, Tristan and Joey looked at each other with worried expressions.

"What do you think, bro?" Tristan's voice was hushed and his brown eyes were wide as he took in the size of Ushio's retreating form.

"I say we're screwed, man. Let's jus' hope Yugi isn't as much of an asshole to us, as we were to her and Gardner."

* * *

"You know, Téa, I think that we should be assholes to Joey and Tristan." Yugi said in a resolute voice as she grabbed her Calculus and Literature books out of her locker, and shutting it with a slam of heartfelt violence.

Téa looked amused at her small friend's passion to "get back" at Joey and Tristan for being dicks. Téa knew that it was all talk, too. Yugi was sweet to a fault, which unfortunately for her best friend, seemed to serve as both a blessing and a curse for her.

"You will not, Yugi Mutou and you know it," Téa laughed, as they walked out of the school gate together. The warm spring breeze tickled their faces and blew their hair in a wayward fashion.

Yugi tucked a strand of her long crimson hair behind her ear and pushed one of her unusual lightning-shaped blonde bangs out of her eyes. "I knowwww, but God! They are in need of a serious wakeup call! Joey and Tristan need to know that not everyone is going to allow them to step all over and bully them!"

"I agree, Yugi."

Both Yugi and Téa jumped at the sudden deep male voice, and Téa discretely fumbled in her school bag for her pepper spray.

Ushio stepped out of the shadows, his large hulking form overwhelming both girls.

"What do you want, Ushio?" demanded Téa, her voice surprisingly steady.

Ushio shrugged. "Just an observation, really. I overheard the two of you talking about Taylor and Wheeler and how they're bullying you-"

"Ushio, they're fine," Yugi replied. She tried to keep her voice steady like Téa's, but it shook slightly. She swallowed. "Honestly. Téa and I were just blowing off steam, so we're going now."

"Ya know, Yugi, I could protect ya from thugs like Wheeler and Taylor. All for a small fee, of course."

"We are going!" Téa was angry. "Come on, Yugi."

"Stay out of it, Gardner. This is just between me and Yugi."

Yugi turned to Ushio, frowning. "What kind of person do you think I am, Ushio? Joey and Tristan are total dicks, yeah, but I don't need protection from them." She gripped Téa's hand a little too tightly, her palm sweaty. "Come on, let's go."

Téa and Yugi had barely made it ten feet when Ushio called out: "Mutou, I expect two grand for my services or Wheeler and Taylor are going to be in a body bag the next time you see them."

Yugi nearly dropped to the ground. "Two grand?! First off, Ushio-I don't have that kind of money and I seriously don't want your services, okay! Also, leave Joey and Tristan out of this. They're idiots, yes! But you're the biggest one of them all."

Ushio frowned at Yugi's reply. Maybe she wasn't such a little wimp, after all.

Well, no matter. He'd get what he wanted from Little Yugi at midnight regardless if she had the money or not.

"I'll see you here at midnight, Yugi."

As the two best friends stood outside of the Turtle Game Shop, Téa once more begged Yugi to not meet Ushio at midnight.

"I'm not stupid, Téa." Yugi smiled. "I'm sure that Ushio was just bluffing. He's a moron."

At Yugi's response, Téa lunged at her best friend, sobbing into her soft hair. "I just don't want you to get hurt. You're my best friend-I-"

 _I love you._

Yugi smiled. "I promise that I'll be safe, Téa." Yugi moved to the side to show Téa her crammed school bag. "Besides, I think that I'm going to solve the Millennium Puzzle tonight!"

Téa smiled softly. "I hope that you do, GameGirl. You've been at it for years."

"Yup! And tonight it'll be officially done!"

Téa turned to go. "Call me at midnight, so that I know you're safe. And let me know how the Puzzle turns out!"

Yugi beamed. "Will do!"

* * *

"...almost there…" Yugi sighed, as yet another piece fit into place with its counterpart. After nearly seven hours of working on the Millennium Puzzle, it was nearly complete. Grandpa was going to be so proud of her! Less proud about the stacks of forgotten textbooks, probably, but still! How many avid gamers could say that their grandchild solved the impossible Millennium Puzzle?

 _One piece...One piece left...and I know which one it is…_

Yugi placed her hand into the box, getting ready to snatch up the last Millennium Puzzle piece. Upon realizing that the piece wasn't in the center, she jumped out of her chair, her hands continuing to search the now obviously empty box.

Yugi could feel her chest heaving. How…!? She was so close and she just had the Eye this morning…

This morning…

That damn Joey Wheeler! If that idiot left it anywhere, he probably left it in their empty homeroom classroom, and Yugi just didn't have the patience to wait and retrieve the puzzle piece in the morning. With any luck, she would run into a night janitor who would let her in.

Carefully placing the almost-finished Puzzle into its box and placing it in her school bag, Yugi quickly pulled on her uniform again, not bothering to button her pink jacket, as the air, even this late at night, was still mild and slightly balmy. Jumping on her bed, her bag draped over her shoulder, she climbed over to her highest dresser and pushed open her skylight window.

It looked like she was going back to Domino High tonight...

Yugi was about halfway to Domino High, when she felt as if she had been punched in the stomach. In her obsession of solving the Millennium Puzzle, she had forgotten about Ushio's earlier threats about meeting her at midnight.

Stopping, Yugi pulled her phone from her uniform jacket, biting her lip at the time: 11:30.

 _Well, I can hurry and take the back alley out of the school. Ushio never hangs out there, anyway. Besides, I *have* to get that last puzzle piece…chances are he won't even be there, anyway. He was probably bluffing..._

With her mind made up, Yugi began jogging towards Domino High, the puzzle box hitting her side harshly.

* * *

Despite his age, Solomon Mutou had never been one to go to bed early. He blamed his early gambling days for that, so he often made a practical use for his insomnia by cleaning and organizing the Game Shop. Anyway, this time of night was always peaceful for him, so he was often able to fill out his inventory (as well as test out a few games) without the interruption of customers. So naturally, it came as a shock to Solomon when he heard frantic beating at the front door of the Game Shop.

Knowing that it could possibly be someone who had less than honorable intentions, Solomon grabbed the baseball bat that he kept behind the counter and he proceeded to the door, only to find his granddaughter's classmate, Joey Wheeler, looking rather frantic.

Frowning, Solomon dropped the ball bat and opened the door, feeling perplexed. Last he knew, Yugi and Joey had never been on the best terms. Maybe things had changed and Yugi just didn't tell him…

"Is Yugi home?" Joey's voice was hitched, as if he had been running with all of his might.

Solomon frowned. "Young man, it is 11:30 at night, why are you asking for my granddaughter? You need to head home. It's late." He tried to close the door, but Joey stuck his foot between it.

"Please, just check! I'll leave if she's here, I promise!"

Frowning at Joey's bizarre behavior, Solomon nodded and turned to go into the upstairs apartment. Before he made it up the stairs, he turned to Joey.

"Stay where you are and don't move."

Joey nodded frantically, and feeling even more put off by Joey's bizarre behavior, Solomon quickly headed to Yugi's room.

Yugi's door was closed, but that was no surprise, as it often was.

"Yugi?" he called, as he knocked on her door, confident his granddaughter was still awake, either working on her homework or that unsolvable Millennium Puzzle.

When he received no answer, Solomon opened the door, and to his horror, Yugi was gone and the window to her skylight was open.

She was gone.

* * *

A/N: Guyyys, I had so much fun writing this! And our favorite Pharaoh will be showing up in the next chapter! Stay tuned! (throws confetti)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for the wait. I had to cut this chapter down significantly, because there was just so much to tell and I didn't want to overburden only the second chapter. Anyway, for readers of my first story (Save Me from Myself), I took it down to do a bit of construction on it. It will come back in due course.

Now, on to this story: I, of course, do not own Yugioh. Also, there are some humourous elements. Sure, a lot of it is going to be like the dub (and maybe sub), but keep in my that this is A/U., as well. Any questions, just send me a message. Now enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 2: The God of Games

Yugi arrived at Domino High School, her chest heaving and burning. She made a mental note to start taking gym class more seriously-running was no joke! When she finally arrived at the steps of Domino High, she took several deep breaths, clutching the burning stitch at her side. Pulling out her phone, she felt a quick rush of panic. 11:50 p.m.

 _Okay, let's do this._

Regaining what little energy she had left, Yugi ran up the stairs to the school and began pulling the door's titanium handles roughly, all the while, refusing to believe that they were locked.

They _couldn't_ be locked! Her puzzle was in there!

Yugi sighed. She wasn't really surprised. Of course the school would be locked, and _of course,_ there wouldn't be any janitors here.

Hot tears prickled Yugi's eyes, as she sat on the concrete steps. She just had to solve the Millennium Puzzle! Fate downright sucked. She had been working on the puzzle for almost eight years now, and finally, just _finally_ , when she was so close to solving it, the main piece of it _would_ go missing! All because she was dumb enough to bring it to school and allow stupid Joey Wheeler to see it and grab it from right under her nose. She had always known that Joey was a bully, but this was almost unforgivable in Yugi's eyes.

Once again, Yugi thought about how this whole mess It just wasn't fair. Now, after eight years of endless work, she would probably never solve the Millennium Puzzle. Knowing her stupid luck, one of the janitors found the piece and either tossed it or kept it, and Yugi honestly didn't know which scenario was worse. It was even worse than Ushio potentially arriving in less than ten minutes for his money that she didn't have.

Without warning, Yugi let out a loud hiccup, as burning rivulets of tears were now streaming down Yugi's face, and even though it was only a few minutes until midnight and Ushio would be arriving soon, Yugi found that she didn't care.

Fuck everything.

Bringing her knees up to her chest and resting her head on her kneecaps, she began sobbing loudly.

"Ya know, Yugi, you're actin' like a total girl," said a familiar voice.

Yugi's head jolted up, and it felt like hot wires of electricity were flowing through her veins.

"YOU!" she snarled at Joey Wheeler. The cause of this whole mess. With lightning fast reflexes that she wasn't even aware of possessing, Yugi charged at Joey.

The blond gave a startled gasp as he felt Yugi's small fists pummeling his chest rapidly.

"Whoa, Yugi. I come in peace." With the physical strength of someone who had been running around with gangs for most of his life, Joey held Yugi back, looking into her tear-filled violet eyes.

Damn, his dad _was_ right; he was a piece of shit.

Before Yugi could pummel him anymore (not that it was hurting him all that much), Joey reached into the pocket of his green jacket, holding out Yugi's puzzle piece.

Yugi's already large eyes were now the size of saucers.

"You had it this whole time…" she breathed, relief evident in her voice. Her small hand shaking profusely, Yugi reached out and took the Eye of Horus from Joey's hand.

"Joey, I-"

"It's nothin', Yug." Joey smiled down at her. "Truce?"

Yugi smiled. "Have I ever told you that you are such a bastard, Joey Wheeler?"

Joey had opened his mouth to give his new friend a retort, but before he could say anything, another familiar voice called out from behind them.

"Well, well, look who decided to show up. And…" Ushio's dark eyes landed on Joey. "Looks like I get a two for one special tonight."

"Go, Yugi!" Joey's voice was urgent. "Run and I'll hold him off!"

Yugi turned and was about to run when she heard Joey's yell of pain and the sickening sound of Ushio's fist connecting with Joey's bone.

Yugi turned and felt herself grow pale at the sight of Joey bleeding profusely on the sidewalk as Ushio continued to kick his stomach in rapid procession.

"GO, YOU IDIOT!" Blood continued to gush out of Joey's mouth.

"Ow!" Yugi felt the Millennium Puzzle burn her skin in such a way that it had never done before. It was no longer the comforting warmth, but rather it felt like an open flame. For a brief second, she thought she heard a comforting baritone voice, but she quickly brushed it off as stress and Joey trying to hold Ushio off.

 _This is the stupidest thing that I've ever done..._ Yugi thought grimly, as she quickly pulled the puzzle out and placing the Eye of Horus in its missing spot, right as Ushio turned to her.

"YUGI! RUN! FORGET THE PUZZLE, IDIOT!" Yugi hazarded a glance over at Joey's direction and saw that his face was swollen almost past the point of recognition and he still had blood pouring out of his mouth.

"Your turn, little girl, and I'm going to have a different kind of fun with you…"

 _Mistress..._

Before Yugi could even react, there was a bright flash of light that erupted into the entire sky, causing Ushio, Yugi, and even a barely conscious Joey to look at the source of the light.

 _Please, protect me. Protect us._ Yugi found herself desperately wishing. Or maybe she was even praying. After all, was there really a difference?

What Yugi saw made her blood run cold and she felt as if she were on the verge of passing out.

Standing before her was a male, who could have easily passed as her twin brother. He was short for a male, but still a few inches taller than her. He even had the same hair color as her, only his tri-colored hair went up in three spikes, his blonde bangs jolting out like lightning strikes that seemed to mimic the passion in his eyes.

As his eyes met hers, she was surprised to see more angular eyes, with irises of mixed violet and red.

As for his clothing...he was wearing what looked to be a white kilt...but…

She felt blood begin to drain from her face-a sure sign that she was on the verge of passing out. She slowly sunk to the ground, the small rocks from the sidewalk digging into her knees and hands. She stared in fascination at the red blood.

Keeping her eyes on the mysterious man, Yugi watched as he turned to Ushio, his eyes hellfire.

"Stay. I shall deal with you in a moment." As if obeying his command, dark shadows arose from the stranger's hands, keeping Ushio in a vice-like grip.

"Yugi! Help me! I never meant any of it! I was joking!" Yugi watched in horror as Ushio struggled with the shadows that seemed to be strangling him more and more.

"Be still and be quiet, you dog, if you know what is good for you!" the stranger growled, his baritone voice growing more dangerous.

Giving Ushio one last disgusted look, the stranger turned his gaze on to Yugi, and Yugi was amazed at how much a gaze could soften in a brief second. The man's eyes took on a pure violet hue, much like her own.

He began to walk slowly to her, and she felt her heartbeat quicken with fear.

"Oh God," she whispered, as she frantically tried to move. He knelt down to her, and despite her fear, she was amazed at how handsome he was, with his sharp eyes and cheekbones, as well as the gentle smile that crossed his face, as he looked hungrily at her.

"My beloved, Mistress and Savior. I will protect you from this filthy animal. But for now, I need you to close your eyes and slip into oblivion."

As if hypnotized, Yugi watched in a slow-motion haze, as the strange man reached out and with long deft fingers, closed her eyelids.

The last thing she remembered saying was something about "not hurting Ushio…"

"Sleep…" the deep baritone voice echoed once again through the chambers of her mind and Yugi felt herself falling into a peaceful darkness that seemed to hold her in comforting strength.

* * *

When Yugi opened her eyes, she was in a room. Not her room, but a room that could definitely belong to her. There were different games, puzzles, and toys scattered throughout the bed, shelves, and floor. Some were older games that Yugi played as a child, and some were timeless games, such as a battered checker board that was sitting on a polished wooden desk, beside a rather large bed with lilac sheets, very similar to the ones that she had in...the _real world_. Yugi glanced around her "room" in appreciation: there were posters of her favorite bands, stacks upon stacks of games, both electronic and "old-fashioned." The only flaw that Yugi could find was in the corner of her room was a full length cracked mirror. Thinking nothing of it, she sat on her the bed, marveling at its softness, and much to her delight, there was a Nintendo DS with the latest Pokemon game. Yugi stared at it longingly, but as always, her curiosity got the best of her.

Bouncing off the bed, Yugi walked towards the immaculate white door of her room, grabbed its polished silver handle and slowly turned it. She paused momentarily before it, stepping into a dark and rather cold hallway. Across from her room, was another door and this particular door sent chills down Yugi's spine. It was a gray stone slab, with an ornate brass door. Unlike the door to her "room," which was just a normal white wooden one, this door seemed to be made out of a slab of concrete, with black tendrils that looked like vines creeping up to the top of it. Like the centerpiece for her Puzzle, the Eye of Horus was stationed at the center of the door and it seemed to follow Yugi's every move as if protecting the occupant inside.

The smart and rational part of Yugi told her that she should probably turn around and go back to her room, where she would hypothetically be safe. The more dominant and less rational part told her that she should find out where this mysterious door led to. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the cold brass handle and turned it.

Yugi wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but she was met with a large Labyrinth of never-ending stairs that went: up, down, sideways, upside down, started in mid-air-almost like a puzzle. Or an M.C. Escher piece. She wasn't sure which.

In most cases, Yugi liked to think of herself as a rational human being. She received excellent marks, she had never received a detention, and she was almost never in trouble with her mom, grandpa, or even her distant-father. However, in other cases, usually involving games, Yugi often found another half of her soul that was just downright reckless and seeing this conundrum of a puzzle, Yugi felt that recklessness take over her like a hard shot of adrenaline.

Yugi took a step to the center of the room, just to get a better look at the "maze and puzzle room," but before she could take another step, a deep voice spoke up behind her.

"Mistress? What are you doing here?"

Yugi slowly turned around and found herself face-to-face with the beautiful and mysterious stranger. As she had noticed before, he was wearing what looked like an off-white kilt and tunic; she was sure that there was a more accurate and appropriate name for what this mysterious man was wearing, but she let it slide. Yugi currently had more important things to worry about, such as how she couldn't get over how similar she and this stranger looked to one another. However, this man possessed a charisma that Yugi knew that she couldn't achieve in a million years, and his sultry eyes were lowered in deference to her, only looking up, as he gave her a gentle look, waiting for her response.

"I-"

There were so many questions burning at the tip of her tongue: _Where am I? What happened? Am I dead? Why are you calling me Mistress? Where's Ushio? What about Joey? WHO ARE YOU?_

Before Yugi could contemplate which question to ask first, she heard herself saying: "Um, I'm really confused. Did I die or something? Are you real?"

The spirit let out a deep chuckle that seemed to vibrate against Yugi's chest. "I imagine that you do have quite a few questions for me, Mistress. Let me see if I can answer what I can." He gave her a small nod and began walking, which Yugi took as an invitation to follow him.

"Why don't you start?" he asked politely. "I can't imagine this is easy for you to take in…"

Yugi tried to sound graceful, but instead, she blurted out the first question that came to her mind. "Who are you?"

The stranger blinked. "That...is a very good question. Unfortunately, it is one that I cannot answer right now, as I have no idea who I am."

"You don't remember? Do you remember _anything_?" Yugi prayed that her voice didn't sound impudent.

The mysterious man shook his head. "None at all, I'm afraid. There was just darkness and then…" he paused to smile warmly at Yugi. "And then you completed the puzzle and there was light again. I saw you. I knew what I had to do. I have a purpose again." He stood in front of her and she was amazed to find him only about three or four inches taller than her. Quite an improvement from the other boys who easily towered over six feet, and even Téa who was a graceful five feet seven inches.

"I...is Joey okay? What about Ushio?"

"Your friend Joey is fine. He may have a mild concussion, as well as some scrapes and bruises, but nothing too serious."

Yugi nodded. She wasn't happy about Joey getting hurt, but she conceded that it could have been a great deal worse.

Yugi swallowed. "...what about Ushio?"

She watched her taller doppelganger's face darken ominously, a snarl forming on his slightly full lips. "Some things are better left unsaid, Mistress."

Yugi felt her face flushing at the stranger's change of tone.

"I have just one more important question."

The man arched one perfectly formed eyebrow. "Only one, Mistress?"

Again, Yugi felt her cheeks heat up. "Only one important one. Are you real? Will my friends and family see you?"

He looked confused. "Why of course I'm real, Mistress. Did you think that I am some spirit who appears at random?"

"Erm, I really didn't know what to expect, to tell you the truth…"

While Yugi was happy that the mysterious stranger seemed kind (and truth be told, overly formal), she felt herself secretly freaking out about what she would tell to her mother, grandpa, as well as her everyone else. Plus, there was the whole bizarre "Mistress" thing that the Spirit had going on.

Fuck.

* * *

The Spirit smirked as Ushio continued to throw the leaves in the air, further displaying the sin of his avarice and greed. What a fun game that had been, indeed...so fun that the Spirit wished that he could continue toying with Ushio, however, he had to get his Mistress home and in bed.

He couldn't help but smile as he looked down at her, her full lips opened slightly as she settled further into her dreams. Their talk in his Soul Room was further proof that her mind was indeed resting and deep within the recesses of their mind.

Crouching down next to Yugi, he gently brushed her blonde bangs, so similar to his own, out of her eyes.

She was a beautiful girl, there was no doubt about it. Even while resting, her porcelain skin had a beautiful dewy glow to it. Her dark long eyelashes, fluttered slightly as she slept.

Slipping one arm under her legs and another around her upper back, he easily picked her up and began walking towards the Game Shop. Even though he had only been out of the darkness for less than an hour, Yugi's memories, as well as her knowledge of the modern world, came flooding into his mind at a rapid speed.

It was a miraculous thing, really. He would have almost no trouble adjusting.

Reaching the game shop, the Spirit gently maneuvered Yugi so that her head was resting on his shoulder. This allowed him to retrieve her house key from her uniform pocket. As he opened the door, the beeping of the security alarm gave him the thirty-second warning. Without thinking twice, he typed 0918 into the keypad, locked the door behind him, and continued to carry his Mistress up the stairs and into her bedroom.

Deciding it would be improper to undress her, the Spirit (for he really had no idea what to even call himself), simply pulled back the soft violet bed sheet of her blanket and gently tucked her in. Once again, he brushed her bangs away from her eyes.

"My Yugi." his voice was barely a whisper. "No one will ever harm you again."

Scanning her memories, he walked over to her closet and pulled out a thick pink comforter and a few spare pillows. His eyes growing heavier with the lateness of the night, the Spirit smiled. Even though he was sleeping on the floor, he was by _his_ Mistress and _his_ Yugi and that was all that really mattered to him.

End Chapter

* * *

A/N: I hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter! Again, I'm so sorry to keep you guys waiting on it. I'm trying so hard with this story, so I just want it to be...well, you know...

Read and Review, tell me what you guys think! Throw tomatoes! But concrit is the best :) Thank you guys for being patient and awesome.

-Caterina


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Okay, guys, between teaching. working my other job, and just...existing...I didn't get a chance to set up a Beta. If there are minor mistakes in this story, I'm sorry :(

As usual, I own NOTHING.

 **Chapter 3**

It was no secret that Yugi hated mornings more than she hated anything. Scrunching her eyes tighter, she rolled over, groaning as she noticed that she was still in her school uniform. What had even happened last night? She had gone to meet Ushio...made up with Joey...and then everything went...well, blank. Well, almost blank...there was that crazy stress dream that she had...and that very handsome man who was dressed in the finest linen, coming to save her from Ushio…it _must_ have been a dream, right? But it felt so...so... _real._

Well, she couldn't dwell too much on it, because she was already late for-

"Shit!" she yelled, jumping out of the bed, nearly tripping over her tangled bed sheets.

She had barely made it to the edge of her bed when she let out a horrified squeak; her heart was pounding harshly against her ribs as if it would explode at any second and she felt a cold sweat drenching her entire body. In fact, Yugi almost hoped that her heart _would_ explode so that she could clear her mind from this-this-

Sitting up on his makeshift pink sleeping bag, the Spirit from her dreams (still dressed in the white linen...kilt? _Were they called kilts?_ Yugi wondered. She made a mental note to ask Gramps if she didn't die of heart failure first). She felt her face begin to heat up. He was so goddamn beautiful...She had met many handsome men, many cute guys, but never, _ever_ , had she ran into a beautiful man like this. And now, he was seeing her in all of her fine glory.

" _After all, nothing screams girlfriend material more than waking up next to a perfect god of a man, with last night's makeup, wild hair, and your pajamas falling off of your body…"_ Sassy Yugi snapped at her.

"Mistress? Is everything okay?" The Spirit had clearly been up for awhile. His deep violet eyes, so much like hers, were wide and alert, and not a strand of his unique hair was out of place. Yugi suddenly felt another wave of familiar self-consciousness at her wild post-bed appearance and brushed one of her many wayward bangs out of her bleary eyes.

Noticing the extra pink comforter and pillows that she kept stowed in her closet, crumpled on the floor beside her bed, she felt her face heat up.

 _Oh my god. He slept at on the floor! By her bed! Not only that-he was a guy! A sex god! Holy fuck!_

Yugi was too busy going over worst-case scenarios in her head that she didn't hear the spirit's concerned voice.

 _"Mistress?"_ His deep baritone voice broke through her increasingly panicked thoughts.

"Whaa-?" came her articulate reply.

He frowned slightly at her frazzled countenance. "Mistress, you are radiating panic and fear. I can feel it in my own mind. Now, please, tell me what is the matter so that I may remedy it." Though his words seemed somewhat subservient, his tone left no room for arguing.

Before Yugi could reply, she heard the last voice that she wanted to hear at the present moment.

"Yugi, darling! Are you up yet? You're going to be late!"

"Shit! What am I going to tell mom!? How am I going to explain you?"

She jumped up out of bed and began hastily straightening her crumpled uniform.

"Simply tell her that I'm the Spirit of the Puzzle and that I'm here to protect you from harm."

Yugi paused from her frantic uniform straightening to stare incredulously at the Spirit. "Are you serious?" She grabbed her hairbrush from her white vanity table and began brushing her hair ferociously, wincing as it pulled the tangles.

"Quite serious. And please be a bit more careful; you're going to rip out your hair at that rate."

Yugi scowled. "No, seriously, Spirit. Listen, I don't know what time you're from, but in this day and age, it's normally frowned upon for sixteen-year-olds to have someone of the opposite sex stay the night."

"Yugi!" Yugi froze as she heard her mother's footsteps as she came up the stairs. Turning to the Spirit, who was still looking at her somewhat bemusedly, she began to jump up and down in a nervous manner. "Please, Spirit, can you at least hide? Unless, you know, you want my mom to _kill_ me. I can't let her see you, Spirit! Please!"

The Spirit sighed, as if in resignation, and just as the doorknob turned, he manifested into a...well, there wasn't another word for it.

A Spirit form.

Yugi tried not to gape as her mother opened up the door to her room. "Yugi, dear? Are you alright? You look sick. Maybe you should stay home today? I can call you in."

As if in a trance, Yugi heard herself say: "No, Mom, really, it's fine. I-I just...I'm just tired is all. Honestly. I'm fine."

Her mother looked suspiciously at her daughter's paler than usual face, glassy eyes, and mussed up hair. "Alright, darling...if you say so. Now hurry up, you're going to be late."

"Okay, Mom."

As soon as Yugi was sure that her mother was safely downstairs she rounded on the Spirit who was now _literally_ a Spirit.

"I thought you said that you weren't a Spirit who could shift?"

The Spirit gave Yugi a small and knowing smirk that made her stomach flutter against her will. "I said that I wasn't a Spirit who _appears_ at _random._ " He walked up to her, still in his Spirit form, and straightened Yugi's crooked jacket collar. "Really, Mistress, one of the first things that I'm going to have to teach you is context." He frowned slightly when Yugi didn't give her usual rebuttal. "I can see that for the present time, my corporeal form is making you ill at ease. If it will help, Mistress, I can stay like this."

Yugi felt like a large weight had been lifted off of her shoulders and chest. "Really!?"

"Unless-" The Spirit voice became stern.

"I knew there would be a caveat," Yugi muttered.

The Spirit continued as if he had not heard Yugi. "Unless someone hurts you or you are in danger. Then I will not be pleased." His dark violet eyes took on a slight shade of red that made Yugi's arms raise up in goosebumps. "Not pleased at all."

"I'm sure it will be fine, Spirit," Yugi replied nervously, trying hard not to think about Ushio and how she didn't want to get framed for murder if this mysterious (and to be honest somewhat psychotic Spirit) were to "accidentally" kill him.

"I heard that." A deep baritone voice whispered into her ear.

Yugi felt her heart nearly jump out of her chest. "Heard what!?"

The Spirit smiled, grabbing Yugi's bag and handing it to her, brushing his fingers through her hair, trying to straighten it, in the process. "Oh, something about a psychotic Spirit who may or may not have a penchant for murder."

Yugi blanched.

* * *

Much to Yugi's surprise, it was not as hard to concentrate on her new Spirit friend as she originally thought that it would be. He mostly kept to himself, stalking up and down the classroom, and observing objects (luckily, he didn't pick any of them up. Yugi was positive that she would have passed out with sheer anxiety if her classmates mentioned random levitating objects). The only other "beings" that the Spirit paid any mind to, were Joey and Tristan. Needless to say, the look on the Spirit's face with faced with these two days was anything but kind.

Well, it's not like Yugi could have said no. After all, if it hadn't have been for Joey, she would have never finished the Puzzle.

 _Then again, if it wasn't for Joey, she also would have never been in this situation in the first place._

Either way, Yugi figured it wouldn't be a bad thing having Joey and Tristan on her side and as friends. It also didn't seem to be too bad having an amnesiac Spirit by her side either. Everything seemed to be going okay until her second-period Algebra class...

* * *

"Yugi! Did you hear what happened to Ushio?!" Anzu hissed as she and Yugi were working on limits.

"Ushio?" Yugi said blankly. At the corner of her eye, she saw the Spirit smirking slightly at the sound of the bully's name. "Erm, no...what...happened?"

Anzu kept a careful eye on Ms. Chono. "Well, school security found him in the schoolyard this morning...he was throwing leaves in the air...yelling something about money and how he was rich…"

Yugi felt the blood drain from her face. What exactly happened last night? Was she responsible for Ushio's fate? Was the Spirit? Or was it just a coincidence? She looked to the Spirit for assistance.

 _Um...Spirit?_

She couldn't help but smile as she saw the Spirit stiffen at the sound of her calls and he promptly turned his focus from the window to Yugi, his violet eyes narrowed in concern. _Mistress? Is something wrong?_

 _What happened to Ushio? Did you…? I mean...Anzu said he wasn't in his right mind last night. Did you…?_

The Spirit gave a lazy shrug. _I didn't kill him, Mistress. He should be thanking me on bended knee._

Yugi stood up. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

"MISS MUTOU!" Ms. Chono looked scandalized, as she looked up from her fashion magazine. "What is the meaning of this!?"

Yugi felt her face grow red. "I...uhm...I…"

 _Oh my god. I hate my life so much._

"Well, if you're just going to stand there and stutter, as well as waste _my_ time, as well as everyone else's, why don't you just head on down to the Principal's office? Hm?"

"No! I mean-I mean-I'm just not feeling very well. I just...I'm sorry, Ms. Chono!" Against her will, Yugi felt tears beginning to well. She hated getting yelled at. It was so embarrassing.

"Then I suggest you sit down and get to work," Ms. Chono said coldly. "Next time you interrupt my class, you'll be in detention faster than you can say limits. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," Yugi felt her face still burning.

For the rest of the hour, she ignored Anzu's incredulous stares and the Spirit's desperate attempts to get her attention.

Yami could _stay_ desperate for all she cared.

* * *

For the rest of the day, Yugi ignored the Spirit of the Puzzle. Granted, it wasn't _easy,_ but she felt that it was necessary to prove a point. Fortunately for the Spirit, Yugi sucked at staying mad, and within an hour, she felt bad for ignoring him. After all, he was a person, too.

Well, kind of one, anyway.

 _Will you forgive me?_ The Spirit asked for the one-hundredth time, as Yugi sat in her third period English class. Ever since the incident in Ms. Chono's, the Spirit seemed to realize that he had made a huge mistake and started frantically apologizing, becoming even more frantic when Yugi didn't respond. After about forty minutes, he became somewhat despondent in his apologies.

 _Please forgive me, Mistress._

The deep baritone voice made Yugi nearly fall out of her seat. Hands shaking and sweating, she sat her pencil down and tucked a wayward bang behind her ear. How did other girls her age manage all of this drama? She couldn't even stay mad at someone for more than an hour.

Even if that someone may or may not have killed someone.

Looking over at the Spirit for the first time since she had burst out at him, she felt a pang of guilt. His violet eyes were half-lidded and downcast and his vibrant bangs and hair seemed to be drooping from his depression.

Yugi sighed. / _It's okay Spirit. I'm sorry for being so angry at you./_

She could have cried at the relief that the Spirit showed at finally being acknowledged. It was sad and it made her heart ache, as she watched his regained their regal and self-aware look.

 _I do that to you, Spirit?_ She thought to herself.

 _You do, Mistress._ Came the Spirit's low and warm voice.

Yugi scowled. _Spirit, when I get home tonight, we are going to talk about boundaries._

He smiled and ruffled her hair. _As you wish._

* * *

Read and Review, please! This was meant to be just a filler chapter, anyway. The good stuff coms next. also, if you guys could go take my puzzleshippping story poll, that would be great :)


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